Video fishing system with electrically-conductive fishing line

ABSTRACT

An electrical transmission line cable suited for a variety of applications, including as a fishing line in a video fishing system. The electrical transmission line cable has a first conductor and a second conductor forming an electrical transmission line; a jacket containing the first conductor and the second conductor; and a transmission line primary dielectric element separating the first conductor and the second conductor, wherein the primary dielectric element is at least one of textile yarns, fiber yarns, or monofilaments. The electrical transmission line may be in a balanced configuration or an unbalanced configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S.provisional application No. 63/214,692, filed on Jun. 24, 2021, and PCTapplication no. PCT/US2022/034883, filed on Jun. 24, 2022, the entiredisclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference as ifset forth in their entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate to a multi-purpose electricaltransmission line cable and, more particularly but not exclusively, toan electrical transmission line cable suitable for use in a videofishing system and other data and power transmission applications.

BACKGROUND

It is well understood that wireless electromagnetic communicationsystems (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) suffer from dramatically reduced rangein an underwater environment. Due to the significant signal attenuationthese systems are subject to in water, range is limited to inches or afew feet at best. Acoustic communication methods can achieve significantrange underwater (up to many kilometers), but their channel capacity (50kbps or less) is orders of magnitude lower than that required for realtime transmission of encoded video. Additionally, underwater acousticcommunications require significant power that makes them unsuitable fortheir use in recreational applications such as fishing. Wireless opticalunderwater communications can achieve the data rates required for realtime transmission of encoded video (1-5 Mbps) and can achieve ranges of1-15 meters depending on water conditions, but their cost, size, powerconsumption, and directionality requirements make them wholly unsuitablefor use in recreational applications such as fishing.

Given the drawbacks of these wireless technologies, a wired approach,either electrical or optical, is often necessary for underwaterenvironments. An optical fiber, either silica core or polymer based, canachieve the necessary data rate for encoded video transfer over thedistances used in typical fishing setups, and may even achieve a datarate high enough such that video compression is unnecessary. Power canalso be sent over the optical fiber, but the transfer efficiency of suchtechnologies is so poor that to be able to deliver the necessary amountof power to a camera module would necessitate an extremely high inputpower being launched into the fiber. Such a large input power sent intothe fiber presents severe safety risks and such a system would also beprohibitively expensive. Additionally, the low transfer efficiency wouldseverely limit battery life of the system and/or require unreasonablylarge batteries in a base station. Realistically, a battery would berequired inside the camera module which has severe impacts on its sizeand buoyancy. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, optical fibers arefar too fragile to withstand the rigors of recreational applicationssuch as fishing.

A need therefore exists for improved apparatus and methods for thedelivery of data and power in underwater environments.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription section. This summary is not intended to identify or excludekey features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor isit intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimedsubject matter.

According to one aspect, embodiments herein relate to anelectrically-conductive fishing line having a first conductor, a secondconductor, a transmission line primary dielectric element separating thefirst conductor and the second conductor, and a jacket containing thefirst conductor, the second conductor, and the primary dielectricelement, wherein the primary dielectric element includes at least one oftextile yarns, fiber yarns, or monofilaments and wherein the firstconductor, the second conductor, and the primary dielectric element forman electrical transmission line.

In some embodiments, the electrical transmission line is of a balancedconfiguration.

In some embodiments, the electrical transmission line is of anunbalanced configuration.

In some embodiments, the first conductor and the second conductor aretwisted about the primary dielectric element.

In some embodiments, the first conductor and the second conductor arenot twisted about the primary dielectric element.

In some embodiments, power is transmitted over the fishing line using acombination of high voltage and low current.

In some embodiments the fishing line includes at least one secondarydielectric element. In some embodiments, the at least one secondarydielectric element may be twisted about the primary dielectric element.In some embodiments, the at least one secondary dielectric element isnot twisted about the primary dielectric element.

In some embodiments, the fishing line has a specific gravity betweenapproximately 0.97 and approximately 2.0.

In some embodiments, the fishing line has a proximal end and a distalend, and there is a connector at each of the proximal end and the distalend.

In some embodiments, the primary dielectric element is a yarn having ahigh strength and a high modulus.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first or second conductors isuninsulated.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first or second conductors ismagnet wire.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first or second conductors isenamel coated.

In some embodiments, the primary dielectric element is also a cablestrength member.

In another aspect, embodiments herein relate to a video fishing systemhaving a waterproof camera module; a base station module; and theelectrically-conductive fishing line of any of the preceding claimsconnecting the waterproof camera module and the base station module.

In some embodiments, the waterproof camera module is configured to be afishing lure.

In some embodiments, the base station module is integrated into afishing rod or reel.

In some embodiments, the camera module has multiple image sensors forcreating a panoramic-view image.

In some embodiments, the video fishing system includes an electricalsafety mechanism between the fishing line and at least one of the cameramodule or the base station module.

In some embodiments, data is transmitted over the fishing line. Data maybe transmitted using 10Base-T1L, Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiplexing, or powerline modem signaling.

In yet another aspect, embodiments herein relate to an electricaltransmission line cable having a first conductor and a second conductorforming an electrical transmission line; a jacket containing the firstconductor and the second conductor; and a transmission line primarydielectric element separating the first conductor and the secondconductor, wherein the primary dielectric element includes at least oneof textile yarns, fiber yarns, or monofilaments.

In some embodiments, the electrical transmission line is of a balancedconfiguration.

In some embodiments, the electrical transmission line is of anunbalanced configuration.

In some embodiments, the first conductor and the second conductor aretwisted about the primary dielectric element.

In some embodiments, the first conductor and the second conductor arenot twisted about the primary dielectric element.

In some embodiments, power is transmitted over the electricaltransmission line cable using a combination of high voltage and lowcurrent.

In some embodiments, data is transmitted over the electricaltransmission line cable. Data may be transmitted using 10Base-T1L,Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, or powerline modemsignaling.

In some embodiments, the transmission line includes at least onesecondary dielectric element. In some embodiments, the at least onesecondary dielectric element is twisted about the primary dielectricelement. In some embodiments, the at least one secondary dielectricelement is not twisted about the primary dielectric element.

In still another aspect, embodiments herein relate to a balancedelectrical transmission line structure wherein a dielectric element isalso used as a cable strength member and the transmission line structureis not braided.

In yet another aspect, embodiments herein relate to a video fishingsystem utilizing an electrical fishing line that contains electricalconductors of size 34 AWG or smaller and sends power over the electricalfishing line using a combination of high voltage and low current. Insome embodiments, the video fishing system includes an electrical safetymechanism governing the voltage and/or current on the electrical fishingline.

In still another aspect, embodiments herein relate to a video fishingsystem utilizing an electrical fishing line that contains electricalconductors of size 34 AWG or smaller and sends data over the electricalfishing line using either 10Base-T1L, Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiplexing, or powerline modem signaling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of this disclosure aredescribed with reference to the following figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various viewsunless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of an unbalancedelectrical transmission line cable in accord with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of a shieldedbalanced electrical transmission line cable in accord with anotherembodiment;

FIG. 3 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of an unshieldedbalanced electrical transmission line cable in accord with yet anotherembodiment;

FIG. 4 depicts a system-level block diagram of the electricalarchitecture used in a video fishing system in accord with still anotherembodiment; and

FIG. 5 depicts insertion loss and return loss data for one embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments are described more fully below with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show specificexemplary embodiments. However, the concepts of the present disclosuremay be implemented in many different forms and should not be construedas limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, theseembodiments are provided as part of a thorough and complete disclosure,to fully convey the scope of the concepts, techniques andimplementations of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.Embodiments may be practiced as methods, systems or devices.Accordingly, embodiments may take the form of a hardware implementation,an entirely software implementation or an implementation combiningsoftware and hardware aspects. The following detailed description is,therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiments is included in at least one exampleimplementation or technique in accordance with the present disclosure.The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places inthe specification are not necessarily all referring to the sameembodiment.

In addition, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes and may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the disclosed subject matter.Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, andnot limiting, of the scope of the concepts discussed herein.

Embodiments of the invention relate to an electrical transmission linecable having multiple conductors arranged in a balanced or unbalancedconfiguration within a jacket. A dielectric element having at least oneof textile yarns, fiber yarns, or monofilaments separates the conductorsand can, in some embodiments, be a cable strength member.

Additional embodiments of the invention relate to a video fishingsystem.

Electrical Transmission Line Cable

In various embodiments, the electrical transmission line cable is madeup of two or more electrical conductors that are electrically insulatedfrom one another. The conductors are arranged in a coaxial, twistedpair, or untwisted pair configuration, though other configurations arepossible. There may be an electromagnetic metallic shield, either foiland/or spiraled and/or braided, around the conductors. In addition tothe conductors, there are one or more strength members inside theelectrical transmission line to withstand axial forces. One or moreouter jackets may surround the conductors and strength member(s) toprovide protection and waterproofing and to keep the line's interiorcomponents contained and properly located. The strength members may alsobe high modulus i.e., low stretch, which protects the conductors and/orjacket and/or other cable components from stretching to their yield orfailure point, therefore stabilizing the transmission properties of thecable under load. Connectors (discussed below), if included, are mostlikely overmolded onto the electrical transmission line to provide ameans of attachment and a waterproof and rugged seal, though othersealing methods are possible.

In order to reduce line diameter while also helping to achieve neutralto slightly negative buoyancy, it can be advantageous to reduce theweight of the electrical conductors while still providing adequateconductivity. In order to reduce conductor weight, it can beadvantageous to use aluminum rather than copper as the material for theelectrical conductors due to its superior conductivity-to-density ratio.The conductivity-to-density ratio for aluminum is approximately 14000S*m∧2/g, compared to approximately 6700 S*m∧2/g for copper. To increasethe ease of solderability to the end of the wires, copper clad aluminumis a good choice for conductor material. However, in many designs it isstill possible to achieve the desired buoyancy while using copper as theconductor material.

Copper clad steel may be chosen due to its superior strength andtoughness to that of copper at the expense of conductivity. To increaseflex life and flexibility, metal-clad or metal-doped fibers or certaincopper alloys may be used. Carbon nanotube yarns can also offersubstantially increased flex life and flexibility and may be a goodoption when cost permits.

Electrical transmission lines are characterized by the geometry andmaterial properties of the conductors and the dielectric. The dielectricin a coaxial line is the annulus of material between the inner and outerconductor. The dielectric in a twisted pair transmission line is thematerial between the two conductors, typically the insulating jacketthat surrounds each wire. Selecting a dielectric material with a lowerrelative permittivity (also known as the dielectric constant) willreduce the attenuation of the transmission line, allowing for signals tobe successfully transmitted over longer lengths of line.

Due to its low dielectric constant and high strength,ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) (or other “superfibers” such as Zylon, Vectran, Kevlar, etc., many of which exhibit highstrength and low dielectric constant) can be used as both the strengthmember and the transmission line dielectric material within theelectrical transmission line cable. The low density of UHMWPE (specificgravity=0.97) helps to increase the buoyancy of the electricaltransmission line cable. Additionally, because most super fiber yarns,including UHMWPE, are actually bundles of very small filaments (thediameter of the filaments is on the order of microns), they offersuperior flex life and flexibility. It should be noted that UHMWPE isthe material used in braided fishing lines, as it has many mechanicalproperties that make it suitable for use as fishing line. Specificstrength (also known as “strength to weight ratio”) is also an importantdesign parameter for electrical cable strength members since the densityof the material is important, as previously explained. UHMWPE, Zylon,Vectran, and other super fibers all exhibit some of the highest specificstrengths of any materials available today (considerably higher thantitanium, for example). In the constructions shown herein, the UHMWPEserves not only as strength member and transmission line dielectric, butalso as a buoyancy enhancer and as a cable filler to occupy what wouldotherwise be void space in the cable's interior. The same design andconstruction principles could be used with any other super fibers ortraditional fibers, or any synthetic fibers e.g., nylon, fiberglass, orany natural fibers e.g., cotton.

Properties to consider for the fibers used in the electricaltransmission line cable are strength, density, filament size,flexibility, flex life, abrasion resistance, cut resistance, toughness,elastic modulus, dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent,dielectric breakdown strength, coefficient of friction, UV resistance,chemical resistance, fungal resistance, hygroscopicity, hydrophobia,elongation at break, melting temperature, decomposition temperature, andothers.

FIG. 1 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of an unbalancedelectrical transmission line cable 100 in accord with one embodiment. Asshown, the conductors 104, 104′ consist of bare copper or magnet wireand are arranged coaxially with conductor 104 forming an innertransmission path and conductor 104′ forming an outer transmission path.Several textile yarns 108 made of ultra-high-molecular-weightpolyethylene are used as the dielectric element of the electricaltransmission line. The outer jacket 112 contains the conductors 104,104′ and the textile yarns 108.

In some embodiments, center conductor 104 is a stranded wire comprisedof 7 individual approximately 45 AWG magnet wires twisted in a6-around-1 configuration. The 45 AWG wires have a diameter ofapproximately 0.05 mm. Center conductor 104 has a diameter ofapproximately 0.15 mm.

In some embodiments, textile yarns 108 are approximately 150 denieryarns of UHMWPE that have each been twisted to give them a circularcross section having a diameter of approximately 0.15 mm.

In some embodiments, outer conductor 104 is comprised of manyapproximately 45 AWG magnet wires. The 45 AWG wires have a diameter ofapproximately 0.05 mm.

In some embodiments, Outer jacket 112 is a jacket having a wallthickness of approximately 0.25 mm.

In some embodiments, unbalanced electrical transmission line cable 100has a diameter of approximately 1.05 mm.

FIG. 2 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of a shieldedbalanced electrical transmission line cable 200 in accord with anotherembodiment. As shown, the conductors 204, 204′ are arranged in ashielded twisted pair arrangement (STP). A textile yarn made ofultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene is used as the primarydielectric element 208 of the electrical transmission line, withadditional textile yarns 212 surrounding the primary element 208 andproviding structural support. An additional layer of textile yarns 224surrounds the first layer textile yarns 212. The outer jacket 216contains the conductors 204, 204′ and the textile yarns 208, 212, 224.The foil 220 functions as an electromagnetic shield.

The yarns 208, 212, 224 may be fabricated from the same material ordifferent materials selected so as to reduce the transmission line lossincurred due to the dielectric constant (also called relativepermittivity) and/or the loss tangent of the transmission linedielectric member. For example, core fiber 208 may be a UHMWPE corefiber while fibers 212, 224 are made from Kevlar.

In some embodiments, center yarn 208 is an approximately 100 denier yarnof UHMWPE that has been twisted to give it a circular cross sectionhaving a diameter of approximately 0.13 mm.

In some embodiments, first layer outer yarns 212 are approximately 20denier yarns of UHMWPE that have each been twisted to give them acircular cross section having a diameter of approximately 0.06 mm.

In some embodiments, conductors 204 and 204′ are 44 AWG magnet wireshaving a diameter of approximately 0.06 mm.

In some embodiments, second layer outer yarns 224 are approximately 30denier yarns of UHMWPE that have each been twisted to give them acircular cross section having a diameter of approximately 0.07 mm.

In some embodiments, foil shield 220 has a thickness of approximately0.01 mm.

In some embodiments, outer jacket 216 is a jacket having a wallthickness of approximately 0.08 mm.

In some embodiments, shielded balanced electrical transmission linecable 200 has a diameter of approximately 0.57 mm.

FIG. 3 depicts a 3D view and a cross sectional view of an unshieldedbalanced electrical transmission line cable 300 in accord with yetanother embodiment. As shown, the conductors 304, 304′ are arranged inan unshielded twisted pair arrangement (UTP). A textile yarn made ofultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene is used as the primarydielectric element 308 of the electrical transmission line, withadditional textile yarns 312 surrounding the primary element 308 andproviding structural support. The outer jacket 316 contains theconductors 304, 304′ and the textile yarns 308, 312. Unlike theembodiment of FIG. 2 , the embodiment in FIG. 3 lacks shielding.

In some embodiments, center yarn 308 is an approximately 100 denier yarnof UHMWPE that has been twisted to give it a circular cross sectionhaving a diameter of approximately 0.13 mm.

In some embodiments, outer yarns 312 are approximately 20 denier yarn ofUHMWPE that have each been twisted to give them a circular cross sectionhaving a diameter of approximately 0.06 mm.

As noted, the yarns 308, 312 may be fabricated from the same material ordifferent materials selected so as to reduce the transmission line lossincurred due to the dielectric constant (also called relativepermittivity) and/or the loss tangent of the transmission linedielectric member. For example, core fiber 308 may be a UHMWPE corefiber while fibers 312 are made from Kevlar.

In some embodiments, conductors 304 and 304′ are 44 AWG magnet wireshaving a diameter of approximately 0.06 mm.

In some embodiments, outer jacket 316 is a jacket having a wallthickness of approximately 0.08 mm.

In some embodiments, unshielded balanced electrical transmission linecable 300 has a diameter of approximately 0.41 mm.

Note that the UBMWPE is represented as a hatched circle in thesedrawings, but in reality each hatched circle is made up of tens orhundreds of smaller filaments. Those filaments are bundled and sometimesalso twisted together to form yarns of different deniers. Denier is aunit of measurement used in the textile industry. It is a measure oflinear mass density and is equal to the mass (in grams) per 9000 metersof yarn.

Note also that all three concepts show bare copper or magnet wire forthe conductors, but it is also possible to insulate these wires with afluoropolymer or other insulating jacket to provide a secondary layer ofprotection in addition to the outer jacket (although the enamel coatingon magnet wire already provides a layer of protection).

Measurements and experimentation have shown that the shield on the STPdesign is typically not necessary. Both the coax and STP concepts can becostly to produce. The UTP design can be very cost effective to produceas it involves twisting, cabling, and a single jacketing operation, andall these production operations can be run at high speeds.

The super fiber yarns are typically made by the bundling together ofmany smaller filaments. These bundles of filaments may be twisted oruntwisted but can be twisted to encourage the yarn to have and maintaina circular shape (e.g., to increase the radial stiffness of the yarn)and to increase processability during manufacturing.

In the twisted pair designs (both UTP and STP and parallel pair), asuper fiber yarn 208, 308 is located at the center of the cross section.Two or more conductors 204, 304, along with a plurality of super fiberyarns 212, 312, are arranged in a circular fashion around the centeryarn 208, 308. Ideally, the conductors 204, 304 are diametricallyopposed from one another about the center yarn, but limitations inavailable yarn sizes may require them to be slightly offset fromperfectly diametrically opposed.

The conductors and the surrounding yarns are most likely spiraled aboutthe center yarn in a helical fashion (twisted pair arrangement) but maybe untwisted (parallel pair arrangement). Twisting of the conductors iswell understood to have numerous advantages in terms of electromagneticcompatibility and performance and this technique has been in widespreaduse since its invention by Alexander Graham Bell in the 1880s. Thesurrounding yarns are likely similar in diameter to the conductors so asto encourage the entire bundle to have a mostly circular cross section,so that the final electrical transmission line cable will have a mostlycircular shape. The surrounding yarns and/or the central yarn act as astrength member to bear the force imposed on the electrical transmissionline cable. The yarns also act as a dielectric material which forms thedistributed capacitance of the electrical transmission line.

Note that while the yarns 212, 312 are shown in the drawing as beingperfectly circular and having some void space between one another, inreality there will be some degree of compaction and rearranging of theyarn filaments and the void space will be at least partially filled. Infact, it may be advantageous to design the surrounding yarns to have acertain degree of overlap with one another so as to encourage the voidspace to be filled as the surrounding yarns are twisted about the centeryarn. Note that the center yarn is not required to be the same size asthe surrounding yarns, nor is it required that the surrounding yarns areall the same size as one another.

The direction of twist of the outer yarns about the central yarn may beleft-hand, also called S-twist, right-hand, also called Z-twist, or thetwist direction may change along the length of the line, also calledSZ-twist. SZ-twist can provide the benefit of limiting or eliminatingload-induced rotation, in which the line twists about its long axis whenplaced under tensile load.

With reference to FIG. 2 , the center yarn 208 acts as both a strengthmember and as a conductor spacer and the primary dielectric elementbetween the two conductors 204, 204′ of the twisted pair transmissionline 200. It is the primary dielectric element because the majority ofthe electric field strength is located in the region directly betweenthe two conductors 204, 204′, where the central yarn 208 is located.

It is well understood that the distance between the two conductors 204,204′ of the twisted pair has a significant impact on the electricalproperties of the transmission line. Spacing the conductors 204, 204′farther apart reduces the attenuation of the transmission line, which isdesirable as it allows for the transmitting of signals across longerlengths of cable before they are attenuated to a level below which areceiver can successfully receive them. In a conventional twisted pair,such as those used in Ethernet cables, the conductor spacing istypically set by the wall thickness of the insulation around theconductors, but in the design presented here the spacing is set by thediameter of the center yarn. Note that the conductors in the electricaltransmission line cable may be bare copper, enameled or “magnet” wire,or insulated with a polymer as is typical in twisted pairs. If magnetwire is used, a thin coating of polyamide or other non-conductivematerial surrounds the conductor. The magnet wire coating issignificantly thinner than the thickness of the center yarn so has aminimal effect on the dielectric properties of the transmission line. Ifthe conductors are insulated with a polymer, it is advantageous to keepthe insulation thickness as small as possible since the insulation willprovide no benefit to the electrical transmission line cable i.e., it isnot a strength member and it is most likely negatively buoyant. If theconductors are insulated with a polymer, the properties of thetransmission line will be determined by the dielectric properties ofboth the insulating polymer and the central yarn. However, it isadvantageous to eliminate the conductor insulation altogether (or to usea very thin coating, such as the enamel coating used on magnet wire) toreduce the overall size of the electrical transmission line cable.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a second layer 224 of surrounding yarns maysurround the first layer 212 of surrounding yarns. These second-layeryarns 224 may also be helically twisted about the central core 208, andthe direction of spiral is most likely but not necessarily opposite ofthat to the first twisted layer 212 in order to minimize the netinternal torque generated by the twisted yarns. This internal torquewill tend to cause the electrical transmission line to “self-curl” ornaturally shift itself into a circular shape. Additionally, the twistdirection of the yarns themselves (i.e., the bundled filaments aretwisted either clockwise or counterclockwise about the center of thebundle) may be alternated to minimize the internal torque. Any number ofadditional yarn layers may exist outside of the second layer.

Outside of all yarns and conductors, an electromagnetic shield (e.g.,220 in FIG. 2 ) may be included to improve electromagnetic compatibilityand performance. This shield may take the form of a spiraled foil tapeand/or individually spiraled or braided wires (e.g., 104′ in FIG. 1 ).In addition to or instead of the electromagnetic shield may be a waterswellable tape used to plug any tears or holes that develop in the outerjacket of the electrical transmission line cable when exposed to water.The yarns themselves may also be coated with a water swellable coatingto achieve the same goal.

In the coaxial design of FIG. 1 , the center member 104 is one of thetwo conductors. The center conductor 104 is surrounded by a plurality ofsuper fiber yarns 108 that act as both strength member and transmissionline dielectric. The outer conductor 104′ of the coaxial design may takethe form of a spiraled foil tape, or individually spiraled or braidedwires, or both. In addition to the outer conductor, there may be a waterswellable tape used to plug any tears or holes that develop in the outerjacket of the electrical transmission line cable when exposed to water.The yarns themselves may also be coated with a water swellable coatingto achieve the same goal.

Outside of the conductors, yarns, and any shields and/or tapes is theouter jacket of the electrical transmission line cable (e.g., 216 inFIG. 2 ). The purpose of the outer jacket of the electrical transmissionline cable is to protect the conductors, yarns, and any shields and/ortapes from the underwater environment by preventing the ingress of waterand to provide a general protective jacket to the electricaltransmission line cable so that it is rugged enough to withstand therigors of use. There may be multiple outer jackets to provide additionaldegrees of protection. The color of the outer jacket(s) and interiormaterials (conductors, yarns, tapes, or shields) may be specificallychosen to provide an obvious visual indication to the user of a failurein the outer jacket by revealing a differently colored inner material.The jacket may have a nonuniform wall thickness along the length of thecable, e.g., the jacket may be thicker at its end where it connects tothe camera, to provide additional robustness to this portion of thecable since this area of the cable may be subject to more frequentand/or vigorous stresses due to handling, etc.

There are many material choices available for the outer jacket and manyfactors to consider when selecting the material: density, toughness,minimum manufacturable wall thickness, UV resistance, abrasionresistance, cut resistance, strength, coefficient of friction,manufacturing processing temperature, elastic modulus, hygroscopicity,hydrophobia, fungal resistance, chemical resistance, and others. Cablesdesigned for submersion in water often use either various polyurethanesor fluoropolymers for the outer jacket material. Other potentialmaterial options are thermoplastic elastomers, silicone, or others.Polyurethane has a favorably low density (specific gravity 1.0-1.2) butdue to the manufacturing processes required for applying it, typicallyrequires a wall thickness of at least 10 mil (0.25 mm). This jacketthickness has a significant impact on the overall electricaltransmission line cable size. Fluoropolymers, such as PTFE, PFA, FEP,and ETFE have higher densities (specific gravity 1.6-2.5) but can beapplied with a much thinner wall, down to as small as a 1.5 mil (0.04mm) wall thickness. Reducing the wall thickness as much as possiblehelps to keep the electrical transmission line cable small and thereforesimilar in size to conventional fishing lines.

The jacket layer may be extruded over a bundle of conductors, yarns,tubes, etc. It may be advantageous to utilize pressure extrusion ratherthan tube extrusion for this manufacturing process. Extruding underpressure forces the jacket material to fill in any void or interstitialspace within the cable core. By flowing the jacket material around theindividual filaments of the high strength yarns in this manner, themechanical coupling between the jacket and the yarns is enhanced. Thisreduces the likelihood that slippage will occur between the jacket andthe cable core, which can lead to the jacket stretching and locallythinning, or to the jacket failing in tension, also called “shucking thecore” or “de-sheathing.”

The jacket layer may be extruded over a bundle of conductors, yarns,tubes, etc., or it may be formed as a layer of high strength yarns(e.g., UHWMPE) that is wrapped around the bundle and thermally fusedusing heat to form a jacket layer. Thermal fusing is a technique inwhich heat is applied to a high strength fiber yarn or group of yarns,typically UHMWPE yarns, in a controlled manner so that the outersurfaces of the individual filaments fuse together while the core of thefilaments remains above a critical temperature near the melting point ofthe fiber. Preventing the core of the filaments from exceeding thiscritical temperature ensures that their highly aligned molecularstructure, which is the property that provides the filaments with theirhigh strength, remains intact so that the strength of the yarns remainshigh. A thermally fused jacket made from high strength fibers wouldprovide additional tensile strength to the electrical transmission linecable. Fishing lines made from thermally fused UHMWPE are available andin use today.

Some embodiments of the foregoing transmission line cables may includean additional braided layer (not shown) surrounding the outer jacketlayer 112, 216, 316. When a tensile force is applied to the braidedlayer it reduces in diameter and compress the transmission line cableand increase the mechanical coupling between the elements of the cablecore (for example strength members 108, 208, 212, 224, 308, 312) and theouter jacket 112, 216, 316. The increase in mechanical coupling betweenthe cable core and the cable jacket allows externally applied forces(for example, grabbing onto the cable jacket by hand and pulling on it)to be applied to the load-bearing high strength and high modulus fibers108, 208, 212, 224, 308, 312 within the cable core, which protects theconductors 104, 204, 304 and jacket 112, 216, 316 from stretching totheir yield or failure point, therefore stabilizing the transmissionproperties of the cable 100, 200, 300 under stress. The braided layermay be formed from any of the materials discussed above for use asstrength members and dielectric materials (UHMWPE, Zylon, Vectran,Kevlar, etc.).

For all of these electrical transmission line cable designs, the sizeand/or number and/or material of the fiber yarns and/or conductors maybe adjusted to increase or decrease the maximum axial breaking force andthe overall diameter of the electrical transmission line cable, as wellas the maximum achievable data transmission and power transmissionlength. An example UTP electrical transmission line cable, using 40AWGmagnet wire conductors, a 50 denier UHMWPE central yarn, and six 50denier UHMWPE surrounding yarns, with a fluoropolymer jacket having athickness of 0.005″, has an overall diameter of approximately 20 mils(0.50 mm) and a breaking force of approximately 30 lbs., which issimilar in diameter and breaking strength that of 30 lb. testconventional monofilament fishing line. Its specific gravity is in therange of 1.9-2.3 depending on the outer jacket material used, which issimilar to that of conventional fluorocarbon fishing line.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the center yarn is not presentand instead the conductors and one or more yarns are bundled togetherand twisted. For example, two conductors and one yarn could be twistedtogether to form a twisted triple, or two conductors could be bundledwith two yarns to form a twisted quad. This approach may be costadvantageous, but in order to provide adequate spacing between the twoconductors to keep their attenuation low will require some insulatingmaterial on the wires that has some thickness to it. As mentionedpreviously, this insulating material provides insulation and protectionto the conductors but does not act as a strength member or a buoyancyenhancer, so this design is less desirable overall, but may be more costeffective.

As discussed above, a low dielectric constant and/or low loss tangentfor the transmission line dielectric is desirable because it reducesattenuation losses and improves transmission distance. Accordingly, instill another embodiment (not shown), the center “yarn” 208, 308 may bea hollow tube of a plastic such as PVC, vinyl, or another rigid plasticthat may be melt processed to extrude a hollow tube. The tube's cavitymay be air-filled or vacuum-filled (i.e., evacuated of contents and thensealed) as these approaches offer exceptionally low dielectric constantsand loss tangents, or the cavity may be filled with some other materialhaving low dielectric constant and/or loss tangent. Similarly, otherembodiments (not shown) may use a monofilament with a low dielectricconstant and/or low loss tangent as the center yarn 208, 308, such asPTFE or foamed PTFE.

For mechanical reasons, or manufacturing reasons, or to adjust thecable's buoyancy, or for other reasons, it may be desirable to usemonofilaments in place of some of the high strength yarns. For example,using a monofilament in an outer location could provide enhanced radialstiffness to the cable core, or some other mechanically advantageousbenefit. Accordingly, in still another embodiment (not shown), any ofthe “yarns” 108 208, 212, 224, 308, 312 may be a monofilament, such asPTFE, nylon, TPX, or other materials.

The conductors may be either solid core or stranded constructions.Stranded constructions offer the benefit of redundancy and may exhibitincreased flex life and/or flexibility. However, stranded constructionsare subject to higher costs. Alternatively, the conductors may becomprised of several smaller diameter magnet wires that are bundledtogether and possibly twisted.

The conductors of the magnet wire may be made from pure copper, acopper-clad metal, or an alloy with desirable mechanical propertiese.g., flex life.

In alternative embodiments, the yarns and conductors may be arranged inother arrangements besides the concentric layered arrangements presentedabove.

Additionally, low density filler materials may be used in the cableconstruction to increase its buoyancy. For example, a low-densitymaterial such as polymethylpentene (TPX), which has a specific gravityof 0.83, may be included as the central member or as a non-centralmember. Its low dielectric constant of 2.12 makes it a good transmissionline dielectric if it is the central member.

In some embodiments, the twist direction of the individual yarns and thetwist direction of the yarns about the central or inner members may beselected so that the yarns themselves form a water-resistant seal thatprevents the ingress of water into the interior of the cable where theconductors reside. The twist rate of the individual yarns or the twistrate of the yarns about the center may also be selected or adjusted toencourage this water-resistant sealing mechanism to form. In theseconstructions, it may be necessary to clamp or otherwise bind the endsof the cable to prevent these yarns from untwisting, or the outer jacketmay serve to prevent the yarns from untwisting. These constructions areknown in the nautical rope literature as “cable-laid” or “water-laid”constructions. If the yarns themselves form a water-resistant seal, theouter jacket may be entirely unnecessary or may be a redundant method ofpreventing water ingress.

Additionally, if the yarns are individually twisted, their twist rateper unit length may be selected so as to achieve or maintain idealconductor spacing within the construction. For example, the center yarnmay have a higher twist per unit length than the surrounding yarns sothat it is more resistant to compaction, so that the conductors remainadequately spaced apart from one another and so that the two conductorsremain diametrically opposed to each other about the central yarn.Alternatively, the central yarn may be twisted while some, all, or noneof the surrounding yarns are untwisted. An advantage of leaving some orall of the surrounding yarns untwisted is that they may be more likelyto take on a non-circular, irregular cross-sectional shape as necessaryto fill in void space an encourage an overall roundness to theconstruction. Without individually twisting some or all of the yarns,yarn compaction is likely and the conductors may be able to migratewithin the cross section into an undesirable configuration that wouldhave detrimental impacts on transmission line and electromagneticcompatibility characteristics.

Additionally, the twist rate of the entire twisted structure (alsoreferred to as “lay length”) may be adjusted to optimize electromagneticcompatibility and performance of the twisted conductor pair, or toenhance the kink-resistance of the electrical transmission line cable,or to reduce the overall weight of the cable per unit length. Forexample, a longer lay length will reduce the overall amount of copperwire per unit length of electrical transmission line cable.

Some embodiments of the transmission line cable involve a hollowmonofilament line with conductors embedded in the monofilament. Theconductors in the monofilament can be paired with high strength yarnsand/or smaller, solid monofilaments located within the hollowmonofilament's cavity to provide mechanical strength and preventstretching and breakage of the conductors. The embedded conductors andthe yarns and/or monofilaments together form a balanced electricaltransmission line. Alternately, the conductors can follow a helicalprofile within the wall of the hollow monofilament to produce a twistedpair and enjoy the EMI and EMC benefits that a twisted pair provides. Anoverbraid may be added as discussed above to further strengthen the lineand withstand tensile stress and resist stretching.

Some embodiments of the transmission line cable involve a solidmonofilament line with conductors embedded in the monofilament. Theconductors together with the monofilament material between theconductors form a balanced electrical transmission line. Theseconductors may or may not follow a helical profile, i.e., it may be aparallel pair transmission line or a twisted pair transmission line. Anoverbraid may be added as discussed above to further strengthen the lineand withstand tensile stress and resist stretching.

The cable designs outlined above may be well suited to any applicationsrequiring a small, strong, and lightweight electrical transmission linecable, for example tethered aerial vehicles or tethered underwatervehicles. The use of textile yarns as dielectric and strength member isa valuable approach that allows for the construction of electricaltransmission line cables that are small, lightweight, and strong.

Video Fishing System

FIG. 4 depicts a system-level block diagram of the electricalarchitecture used in a video fishing system in accord with still anotherembodiment.

There are four main components that make up the electrical architectureof the video fishing system: the base station 404, the camera module408, the display 412, and the optional electrical bait 416. The basestation 404 and the camera module 408 are connected by the electricalfishing line 400.

The base station 404 contains communication electronics 420 for sendingdata to and from the camera module 408 over the electrical fishing line400. To facilitate sending power over the electrical fishing line 400,most likely but not necessarily over the same two conductors used fordata transfer, the base station 404 may contain filtering components andother circuit components 424 to combine the DC power signal with the ACdata signal. The DC power signal is generated by a step-up voltageconverter 428. This step-up converter 428 may contain other voltagestep-up converters, step-down converters, or step-up/step-downconverters as necessary to provide the voltage levels required by othercomponents within the base station 404 and/or the display 412. The powerinput into the voltage converter may be DC, for example from anoptionally included battery or another DC voltage source 432, or AC, forexample from mains wiring 436. The step-up converter 428 used fortransmitting power over the electrical fishing line 400 may include acapacitance multiplier to reduce output ripple that might interfere withthe communication signal while limiting the amount of capacitanceattached to the high voltage bus for safety reasons. It may also includeoutput current limiting circuitry for safety reasons (not shown). Thecommunication electronics 420 in the base station 404 facilitate datatransfer over the electrical fishing line. This data may be sent onwardsto a processor 440 within the base station 404 for additional processingand/or to a display 412 and/or to a wireless broadcasting apparatus 444.Additional sensors 448 (e.g., outdoor air temperature sensor, ambientlight, geographic location) may connect to the base station processor440 to capture useful information to provide to the angler. Data mayalso be sent to a data storage device 452 to store in memory for futureaccess (e.g., to watch or download the video in the future). The basestation 404 may also contain a microphone (not shown) for capturingaudio. The base station 404 may also contain a GPS sensor to determinelocation. The base station 404 may also contain an energy harvestingsystem (not shown) that can harvest energy from the spinning motion ofthe reel (i.e., an electric generator) in order to power the system orrecharge the system's battery 432.

A waterproof and depth tolerant camera module 408 is located at thedistal end of the electrical fishing line. The electrical fishing line400 serves as both the angler's fishing line and an electrical conduitthat is used for transferring data from the camera module 408 to thebase station module 404 (which is located near the angler) and viceversa, and for sending power from the base station module 404 to thecamera module 408. The angler is able to send commands, either fromphysical controls on the fishing rod or reel, or from wirelessly linkedcontrols, to the camera module 408 as desired to control variousfunctionalities of the camera module e.g., activating lights for theillumination of subject matter.

In some embodiments, the camera module 408 is an omnidirectional camerathat uses multiple lenses and image stitching to provide a field of viewthat covers approximately an entire sphere or at least a full circle inthe horizontal plane.

One exemplary embodiment includes an orientation and/or motion sensor(not shown) in the camera module 408 to identify the orientation of thecamera with respect to a reference frame, for example the inertial(Earth) frame. The orientation and/or motion sensor may be an inertialmeasurement unit, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, acombination thereof, etc.

With orientation data and motion data, the image from the camera module408 may be stabilized against motion or displacement and advancedapplications like video stabilization may be enabled. In particular,orientation and/or motion data may be used to eliminate video shake andjitter, for example through the process of dynamic cropping or dynamiczooming. In these techniques, only a portion of the entire imagecaptured by the sensor is displayed to the viewer. The cropping orzooming parameters are determined in part using the data from theorientation and/or motion sensor. This method allows for a more stableimage to be presented to the viewer despite camera motion at the cost ofreducing the viewer's field of view. Note that in an omnidirectionalcamera embodiment, field of view may not have to be reduced whenapplying this stabilization method. In addition to shake and jitter,orientation and motion data can be used to maintain a generalorientation lock for an image from a camera module 408, for example toprovide a horizon lock, whereby the image from the camera module 408stays level with respect to the horizon despite the module's motion; orto lock the image with respect to magnetic north and counter z-axis spinof the camera module 408. Horizon lock could be beneficial for fishingmethods in which the camera is primarily in a horizontal attitude e.g.,cast and retrieve. Magnetic north lock could be beneficial for fishingmethods in which the camera is primarily in a vertical attitude e.g.,bottom fishing. In some embodiments, image data from the camera module408 itself may be used to enable stabilization features.

In some embodiments, an orientation and/or motion sensor may be locatedin the fishing rod, and the orientation of the rod may be used tocontrol the orientation of the image from the camera module 408. Forclarity, moving the rod may not move the camera module 408, but mayinstead change the amount of rotation of the image from the cameramodule 408. In this setup, an orientation lock would exist between therod and the camera module, so that as the angler rotates the rod aboutthe gravitational vector, the image they see from the camera modulerotates in relation to the rod rotation.

The camera module 408 contains communication electronics 456 for sendingdata to and from the base station 404 over the electrical fishing line400. To facilitate receiving power over the electrical fishing line 400,most likely but not necessarily over the same two conductors used fordata transfer, the camera module 408 may contain filtering componentsand other circuit components 460 to separate the DC power signal fromthe AC data signal. The DC power signal connects to the input of avoltage step-down converter 464. The DC power signal may pass throughone or more diodes, or a full bridge rectifier, that are included toprevent the input capacitance of the step-down converter fromdischarging into the electrical fishing line 400, for safety reasons.The step-down converter 464 may contain other step-down converters,step-up converters, or step-up/step-down converters as necessary toprovide the voltage levels required by other components within thecamera module and/or the electrical bait. The camera module 408 maycontain a battery or other power source 468 to provide some or all ofthe power to the components within the camera module 408 and/orelectrical bait 416. It may also contain an additional energy storagedevice (not shown) used to provide burst power to electrical componentsthat may require temporary large power spikes e.g., motors for actuatingfins. The camera module 408 contains one or more image sensors 472 andmay contain LEDs or other light generating devices for the illuminationof the subject matter. The camera module 408 also includes a processor476 that receives data from and sends data to the image sensor(s) 472.The processor 476 may perform image and/or video encoding to reduce thesize of this data to facilitate transmission across the electricalfishing line 400. Additional sensors 480, 480′ may be included in thecamera module 408 to collect various data of interest, e.g., watertemperature, water depth, water salinity, ambient light, to provide tothe angler. These sensors 480, 480′ may send data to and receive datafrom the camera module processor 476 and may be used to adjust the imagesensors 472 and/or image processing settings to improve image quality.The camera module 408 may also contain a data storage device 484 forstoring sensor or video or photographic data. The camera module 408 mayalso contain a microphone and/or hydrophone for capturing audio (notshown).

A wired electrical approach can achieve the necessary data rate(assuming video compression within the camera module 408) over thedistances used in typical fishing setups, with the added benefit thatpower can also be sent over the line at high efficiencies, obviating theneed for a battery within the camera module 408. Without a battery, thecamera module itself can be exceptionally small and lightweight (ideallynear or exactly neutrally buoyant, or with adjustable buoyancy to meetthe needs of different fishing techniques), roughly the size of a tubeof lipstick. The camera should be small and lightweight enough that itdoes not have a detrimental or noticeable effect on the fishingexperience (especially if the angler is casting the camera module outinto the water) and achieving this is possible if a battery is notrequired inside the camera module. Additionally, the same conductorsused for transferring data can also be used to transfer power, whichhelps to achieve a smaller size electrical fishing line by keepingconductor count to a minimum. The size and weight of the line affectcastability and usability when fishing. A wired electrical approach isone way to achieve the overarching goal of creating a video fishingsystem that provides the angler with a nearly identical experience totraditional angling. Accordingly, embodiments use an electrical fishingline: a single cable that acts as fishing line, communications link, andpower supply conduit.

Optionally, an electrical bait 416 may connect to the camera module 408through an additional length of electrical fishing line 400′, which mayor may not include connectors or other apparatus for ease of detachmentand attachment. This electrical bait 416 may contain image sensors,other sensors, processors, or other components to facilitate datacollection and/or functionalities of use within the electrical bait,e.g., illumination or vibration for attracting fish, illumination ofsubject matter, motors or other actuators to imitate the movements of aliving bait, etc. The electrical bait may also contain a microphone orhydrophone for capturing audio.

In some embodiments, the camera module 408 and bait/lure 416 arecombined into a single “camera lure” apparatus. The camera lure combinesthe functionality of the camera module (video capture, data capture,omnidirectional field of view, etc.) and the lure (patterns and/orcolors to entice fish strikes, hooks for retaining the fish on the lureafter the strike, etc.).

The display 412 connected to the base station module 404 allows forreal-time or after-the-fact viewing of the video and other data from thecamera module 408 and/or electrical bait 416 for informational and/orentertainment purposes. The display 412 may be mounted on the fishingrod or located elsewhere, permitting anglers and/or other observers(either locally or remote, for example on a live streaming platform onthe web). The display 412 may connect to the base station 404 through awire to facilitate the video and/or power connection, or it may bewireless. The display 412 may take the form of a dedicated monitor or auser's personal device e.g., phone, tablet, laptop.

The video fishing system may also include a functionality to performdiagnostic tests to assess the state of health of the electrical fishingline. These cable diagnostic tests may use time domain reflectometry orsimilar techniques to locate faults within the electrical fishing line.This diagnostic information may be communicated to the user of the videofishing system in order to provide troubleshooting feedback or to adviseof an impending cable electrical failure or estimated time to electricalfailure.

Additionally, the video fishing system may include voltage and currentmeasurements within the camera module and/or base station so that the DCresistance of the conductors within the electrical fishing line can bemeasured. Measuring the DC resistance of the conductors allows for anaccurate estimation of the length of fishing line connected between thebase station and the camera module, which is valuable information toprovide to the angler.

Such a system may also be useful for activities other than fishing e.g.,exploration of the underwater environment, marine research, inspectionof underwater equipment, reconnaissance, etc.

Electrical Fishing Line

Some prior art approaches teach the use of a “downrigger” line as beingfabricated from or containing a current carrying conductor or pair ofconductors, together with a material intended to provide tensilestrength to the line. However, a downrigger is a truly separate linenormally used for placing a lure at a desired depth when trolling and,due to its size, weight, stiffness and configuration, i.e., typicallyconnected to a large, heavy weight, it is not a fishing line and isunsuited to serve as a fishing line. Downrigger lines are connected tothe fishing line with a clamping mechanism that, when a fish strikes thebait and the fishing line lightly shakes, releases and disconnects thedownrigger line from the fishing line to facilitate the retrieval of thefish.

These prior art approaches are typically configured to deliverelectrical power and/or DC signals and not transmit data-carrying ACsignals and therefore lack features that are either desirable ornecessary for carrying electromagnetic waves encoding data over atransmission line, such as uniform cross-sectional dimensions alongtheir length, uniform spacing between conductors, uniform dielectricproperties of a spacing material, and/or a uniform impedance. Thedistinction is apparent when the prior art load is, e.g., a DC deviceinstead of a data source or data sink.

By contrast, embodiments of the present invention provide an electricaltransmission line cable deployed as an electrical fishing line in avideo fishing system (e.g., 400 in FIG. 4 ) that allows the angler toobserve their bait (either live or artificial) and/or the underwaterenvironment in real time.

To closely mimic conventional fishing line, the electrical fishing lineis similar as possible to conventional lines in terms of buoyancy, size,breaking force, strength, abrasion resistance, hygroscopicity,hydrophobia, UV resistance, flexibility, flex life, elastic modulus,chemical resistance, fungal resistance, and other properties. Typicalmonofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided fishing lines have a specificgravity in the range of 0.97-2.0, so the electrical fishing line'sbuoyancy should be within this range. One goal for the electricalfishing line is to make it as similar as possible to conventionalfishing line so that it can be used in the same manner for variousstyles of fishing, e.g., cast and retrieve, vertical jigging, trolling,bottom fishing, surf casting, fly fishing, etc. Denser fishing lineswill have a higher sink rate which is problematic for some styles offishing, so keeping specific gravity below approximately 2.5 can beimportant for usability. Note that when practicing the fishing techniqueknown as “trolling” it may be desirable to have a very dense fishingline, which is commonly made with a lead core or another core materialwith a very high density. The motivation for using a high-densityfishing line is to provide sufficient sinking force to keep the baitsuspended well below the water surface as the line and bait are pulledthrough the water while trolling. To make an electrical fishing linewith a high density one could use larger conductors or conductors madefrom a denser metal. While the denser metals might have a lowerconductivity than copper, the increased size would likely more thanoffset the increased resistivity so that the electrical performance ofthe line would be sufficient.

Note that some types of fly-fishing line are typically designed to floaton water (specific gravity less than 1) and typically have largerdiameters than other fishing line types. It is possible to create afloating electrical fishing line using the same design techniques usedto make a fly line positively buoyant. This can be achieved bysurrounding the core of the line with a low-density material, forexample a foamed polymer.

The electrical fishing line may have any length but will typically havea length of 50 to 500 meters, as most conventional fishing setups haveline lengths in this range. Transmission of encoded digital video ofacceptable quality typically requires a data rate of at least 1 Mbps for1080p resolution at 30 frames per second, with higher data ratesallowing for increased resolutions, frame rates, and image quality. Toachieve these data rates over a wired medium requires the use of theelectromagnetic spectrum up to at least several hundred kHz to a fewMHz. Since the data will be communicated using signaling in at least thehigh kHz to low MHz range, we know that the electrical fishing line willbe acting as a transmission line due to its length, since wires begin toexhibit transmission line behavior near 1/20th of the wavelength of thefrequency of the signal. Assuming a 500 kHz signal frequency, thewavelength is 600 meters, so 1/20th of the wavelength is 30 meters,meaning that if the wire is longer than 30 meters in length, it shouldbe modeled as a transmission line.

At the time of writing, several iterations of electrical transmissionline cables employing the design architecture shown in FIG. 3 have beensuccessfully manufactured and used in video fishing systems. Insertionloss and return loss data, measured with an S5085 vector networkanalyzer (VNA) from Copper Mountain Technologies together with a pair ofADT2-1T+ baluns from Mini-Circuits, for a 75-meter length of one suchcable is shown in FIG. 5 . This cable contains two 39 AWG magnet wires(39SNSP from Remington Industries, single build with solderablepolyurethane insulation conforming to the NEMA MW-79 C specification)and seven 100 denier Vectran yarns from Kuraray. The two 39 AWG magnetwires and six of the 100 denier yarns are twisted helically about asingle central 100 denier yarn in an “8-around-1” configuration to forma balanced unshielded twisted pair transmission line in which thecentral yarn is acting as the transmission line's dielectric element.The two conductors are positioned nominally 180 degrees apart from oneanother. The cable core is surrounded by an ETFE jacket with a wallthickness of or 0.13 mm, resulting in an overall cable diameter ofapproximately 0.5 mm. As can be seen from the data in FIG. 5 , inparticular the return loss data, we have succeeded in creating ahigh-performance electrical transmission line. In the band of 1.5MHz-2.5 MHz the return loss is better than −15 dB. In the band of 2.5-30MHz the return loss is better than −20 dB. Both of these metricsindicate very good transmission line performance. This cable has anominal breaking load of 30 pounds and has been successfully integratedinto a complete and working video fishing prototype system employing thearchitecture shown in FIG. 4 . A 10Base-T1L link is used fortransferring video data across the electrical transmission line cablewhich has a length of 75 meters, and power is sent across the same twoconductors at a voltage and current of approximately 240 V DC and 6 mADC. The system has demonstrated maintaining successful data and powertransmission functionality while under loads of up to 20 pounds. Theauthor has successfully observed and caught many fishes of differentspecies in both saltwater and freshwater environments, at depths up toand greater than 100 feet, and has thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The electrical fishing line is a replacement for conventional fishingline. It is wound onto the spool of the fishing reel in the same way atypical fishing line is. The proximal end of the electrical fishing lineconnects to the fishing reel, and the fishing reel is electricallyconnected to the base station module. The base station module is locatedeither on or near to the fishing rod or may be entirely integrated intothe fishing rod or reel. The distal end of the electrical fishing lineconnects to the camera module.

There may be a connector at the distal end of the electrical fishingline to allow for disconnection of the camera module from the line, soas to make it easier to assemble or disassemble the video fishing systemor to change the electrical fishing line as needed. There may also be aconnector at the proximal end of the electrical fishing line to allowfor disconnection of the electrical fishing line from the fishing reel,so as to make it easier to assemble or disassemble the video fishingsystem or to change the electrical fishing line as needed. Theseconnectors make the electrical connection to allow for the transfer ofdata and power and also form a mechanical connection to allow for thetransfer of force along the electrical fishing line. The connector atthe distal end of the electrical fishing line mates either directly tothe camera module or to a short pigtail of electrical fishing line thatis permanently attached to the camera module. The connector at theproximal end of the electrical fishing line mates either directly to thefishing reel or to a short pigtail of electrical fishing line that ispermanently attached to the fishing reel.

If there is a pigtail of electrical fishing line coming off of thecamera module, it may be advantageous to armor this section of line toprotect it from potential fish bites or other sources of damage.

Alternatively, the electrical fishing line may terminate inside of thecamera module housing, both mechanically and electrically. In thisapproach, the electrical fishing line enters the camera module housingin a sealed manner to prevent the ingress of water into the cameramodule, for example through the use of O-rings around the outer jacketof the line. The strength member of the electrical fishing line is thenanchored to the camera module housing in some way. e.g., knot tying,crimping. etc., to allow for the transfer of force from the cameramodule to the fishing line. The conductors inside the electrical fishingline are then connected to the camera module to form the electricalconnection. This process of sealing, anchoring, and connecting theelectrical fishing line to and inside of the camera module may beexecuted by the end users of the video fishing system either in thefield or at home. The end user may wish to cut off a length of damagedelectrical fishing line and re-terminate the remaining, undamaged lengthof line to the camera module, for example. A similar approach may beused for the connection of the electrical fishing line to the basestation.

Extending from the distal end of the camera module is another line,either typical fishing line or electrical fishing line, that terminatesat the bait. If this terminal line (called a “leader line” in thefishing vernacular) is electrical fishing line, power and/or data may becommunicated across it from the camera module to an electrical bait orvice versa in order to allow for various electrical and/or mechanicalfunctions within the electrical bait (e.g., bait illumination orflashing, or bait mechanical vibration or motion) to be activated. Suchelectrical bait functions might be activated by the angler in order toincrease the likelihood of a fish striking the electrical bait.

To reduce the risk of camera module loss in the event of a line break,the leader line can be weaker than the electrical fishing line. Withthis setup, if the bait is snagged or the hooked fish is strong and/orlarge enough to break the leader line, the leader line will fail beforethe electrical fishing line. The bait will be lost but the camera modulewill be recovered.

The electrical fishing line may also be assembled from multiple shorterlengths of electrical fishing line with connectors on each end. Theseconnectors are small enough that they can be spooled onto the fishingreel without a significant or detrimental impact to the user experience.The advantage of forming a longer electrical fishing line from aplurality of shorter electrical fishing lines in this manner is that inthe event of line failure, the entire line would not have to bereplaced. Rather, one would simply replace the segment of the electricalfishing line that failed. This setup would be particularly advantageousfor any fishing technique that used especially long fishing lines, forexample 400 meters or more. In such a setup, one might assemble a single400-meter electrical fishing line by connecting together, in series,four separate 100 meter electrical fishing lines.

Inline Slip Ring

It is well understood that some baits will spin about the long axis ofthe fishing line as they are moved through the water, eitherintentionally to attract fish or unintentionally. Without the presenceof a swivel or other component designed to allow for rotation, this canlead to a common phenomenon known as line twist, in which the fishingline is twisted about its long axis. Line twist can permanently deform,damage, or destroy the line. To prevent this problem, a swivel elementis typically placed in line with the fishing line, usually between themain line and the leader line or directly between the bait and the line.

One approach for providing the same line twist compensation mechanismfor electrical fishing line involves an inline electrical slip ring. Theslip ring maintains electrical contact between the two conductors oneither side of the slip ring even while one side of the slip ringrotates relative to the other. The slip ring may be located at or withinthe connector between the camera module and the distal end of theelectrical fishing line or may be located on the pigtail coming off thecamera module or may be integrated into the camera module itself. Theslip ring may also be located anywhere along the electrical fishingline. The slip ring (or an additional slip ring) may also be locatedbetween the camera module and an electrical bait, if such an electricalbait is used. The slip ring is designed to be waterproof and neutrallyor close to neutrally buoyant so as not to have a negative impact onfishing technique or bait presentation.

Fishing Reel Slip Ring

Because most fishing reels are designed such that the fishing linerotates relative to the angler, an electrical slip ring is most likelynecessary in the fishing reel. The “spinning” reel (also called a “fixedspool” reel) has a spool which rotates about an axis parallel to thelong axis of the fishing rod under “drag” conditions i.e., when line isbeing pulled off the reel by a fish so as to keep the line frombreaking. The “baitcasting” reel has a spool which rotates about an axisperpendicular to the long axis of the fishing rod under normalconditions i.e., when casting or retrieving. The electrical slip ringallows for the rotation of the spool while maintaining electricalcontinuity between the base station, which is most likely fixed relativeto the rotating reel. The electrical slip ring is most likely integratedinto the reel itself. The electrical slip ring has two or moreconductors. It may be electrically located such that it passes ACcommunication signals, DC power signals, or both signals.

Camera Module

The camera module is located at the distal end of the electrical fishingline and provides the user with a real time view of the underwaterenvironment. It is designed to have as little impact as possible on theangling experience so that the video fishing user experience is assimilar as possible to conventional angling. To achieve this, the cameramodule is made as small as possible and with neutral or near neutralbuoyancy. Reducing the size of the camera module reduces the drag forceit generates when being pulled through the water. Trimming the cameramodule to neutral buoyancy ensures that it does not impart positive ornegative lift on the bait so that the bait moves through the water inthe same way that it does when the camera is not present. The cameramodule may also include stabilizing fins to ensure dynamic stability asthe camera module is pulled through the water. These stabilizing finsmay be adjustable so that the angler can best trim the camera to improveswim dynamics for their current fishing technique, bait, orenvironmental conditions. The angle of attack of these fins may bepassively user adjustable or actively user adjustable through anelectrical actuation mechanism. Though the camera module is primarilydesigned for dynamic fishing techniques in which the bait is pulledthrough the water (e.g., cast and retrieve, trolling), it is also wellsuited to static techniques in which the bait and camera are stationary(e.g., bobber fishing, bottom fishing). Additionally, the camera isdesigned to have a streamlined shape so that it is unlikely to becomesnagged on underwater structure such as rocks or submerged trees orother structure. The camera module shape is also designed to have lowhydrodynamic drag.

The components within the camera module are likely positioned in such away as to give the camera module a center of gravity that is below itscenter of buoyancy. With this feature, the camera module will benaturally self-righting in water and will tend to stay upright so thatthe captured video is upright. This is the same principle employed bysubmarines to keep them upright when submerged. Additional ballast maybe included within or below the camera module to further enhance thischaracteristic. Additionally, the printed circuit boards (PCBs) locatedwithin the camera module may be designed so as to encourage it to have alow center of gravity. For example, the densest components (e.g.,inductors) on the circuit board could be located on the bottom of theboard so that they sit low within the camera module.

The camera module contains some or all of the following electricalcomponents: one or more image sensors, a host processor capable of imagesignal processing and video and image encoding, communicationelectronics, power receiving electronics, reverse discharge protectiondiodes, and additional sensors. It may also contain electronics forillumination of the bait and/or underwater environment such as visiblelight LEDs or infrared LEDs. It may also contain one or more IR cutfilters. It may also contain a lens for each image sensor. It may alsocontain a battery or other energy storage device, though this willimpact the feasibility of achieving a neutrally buoyant and small cameramodule. The battery or energy storage device may be a small device whosepurpose is not to power the entire camera module 100% of the time, butto provide for burst power requirements when necessary. An example of anarchitecture that would include a burst power requirement is electricalactuation used to adjust fin angle of attack when commanded by theangler. Another example is a user triggered bait illuminationfunctionality. Due to their high power density, a supercapacitor couldbe a good choice for an energy storage device whose purpose is toprovide burst power on occasion. The burst power energy storage devicewould be regularly recharged using excess power available from the powersent over the conductors so that these commanded functionalities can betriggered as needed.

The camera module includes a primary port to which the electricalfishing line is connected. Alternatively, the port for the primaryelectrical fishing line may be a connector at the end of a short pigtailthat is attached to the camera module. The primary port can allow forsome or all of the following functions: mechanical attachment and/oranchoring of the electrical fishing line to the camera module so thatforce may be transferred from the camera module to the line, electricalconnection so that data and/or power may be transmitted between thecamera module and the line, and sealing so as to prevent the ingress ofwater into the camera module and/or into the line. In some embodiments,the primary port is used for sealing to prevent the ingress of waterinto the camera module and/or electrical fishing line, and themechanical anchoring and electrical connection are located inside thecamera module.

The camera module may also have a secondary electrical port or secondarypigtail to which a leader length of additional electrical fishing lineconnects. This secondary port allows for the connection of baits withelectrically powered features and communications, as described earlier.The secondary port serves to mechanically and electrically connect thebait to the camera module to allow for the transfer of force,communications, and power.

The camera module housing provides protection to the components internalto the camera module from the surrounding water and depth pressure. Italso protects the internal components from fish strikes or other impactsthat it may be subject to during use.

The electronics and sensors within the camera module housing are in anapproximately 1 atmosphere pressure environment i.e., the camera modulehousing acts as a pressure vessel. Alternatively, the camera module mayemploy a flooded design in which water fills some or all of theunoccupied space within the camera module and the electronics andsensors are coated or potted or protected in some other way from thewater.

The camera module may contain a mechanism for adjusting the buoyancy ofthe camera module so that it can be trimmed to optimize use for theangler's fishing technique, bait, and environmental conditions. Forexample, the camera might be trimmed heavy in order to encourage thecamera and bait to sink in the water, or trimmed light to encourage thecamera and bait to rise or float in the water. The buoyancy might alsobe adjusted in accordance with the density of the water being fished,for example salt water imparts a larger buoyant force on submergedobjects than fresh water does, due to the higher density of salt water.

The camera module may contain additional sensors that collect data aboutenvironmental conditions. This data can be provided to the angler forinformational and educational and entertainment purposes. Additionally,this data can be used by the image signal processing of the cameramodule host processor to improve and/or tune the image quality. Thefollowing sensors, and others, may be included in the camera module:depth or pressure sensor, water temperature sensor, water submergencesensor, salinity sensor, water velocity sensor, ambient light sensor,infrared sensor, force sensor, mechanical strain sensor, accelerometer,gyroscope, Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, internal temperaturesensor, microphone, and hydrophone. Alternative embodiments may includedepth sounding and/or sonar capabilities within the camera module.

The image and sensor data captured by the camera module may also beintegrated, using sensor fusion techniques, with sonar or other datathat is captured from separate systems e.g., data from a sonar systemmounted to a boat.

The camera module may contain more than one image sensor. For example,it may contain a front-facing image sensor and a rear-facing imagesensor so that both the bait and the boat and/or angler(s) can be viewedand/or recorded simultaneously. Alternatively, it may contain multipleimage sensors that are arranged circumferentially to allow for a360-degree view image to be produced by means of image stitching.Alternatively, some lenses may face downwards or upwards to providethese views which may be beneficial for certain fishing techniques suchas vertical jigging.

Sending Data Over Electrical Fishing Line

Due to the ever-increasing resolutions and frame rates of digital video,the amount of raw data generated by digital video systems is large. Forexample, a 1920×1080 pixel video stream (otherwise known as Full HighDefinition or FHD resolution) at 30 frames per second (fps) with atypical color depth of 24 bits generates almost 1.5 gigabits per second(Gbps) of data. If the resolution is increased to 3840×2160 pixels (alsoknown as 4K resolution), the data rate increases to almost 6 Gbps.Transferring such high data rates over wired media is power intensive,costly, and requires using cables with low insertion loss at highfrequencies. 10GBASE-T, an Ethernet standard that is rated to up to 10Gbps, requires the use of Category 6 cabling which contains four twistedpairs each rated to no more than 31.1 dB of insertion loss at 250 MHz.To meet that insertion loss specification requires the use of at least24 AWG copper conductors at a maximum cable length of 55 meters. Due toits large size (about 5 mm diameter), it is obvious that using aCategory 6 Ethernet cable as fishing line is not feasible. Forreference, 25 lb. test monofilament is about 0.5 mm in diameter. Sincethe aim is to make the electrical fishing line as similar in diameter aspossible to conventional fishing line, it is clear that data rates inthe Gbps range are not feasible and that video compression (also calledvideo encoding) is required.

There are many video encoding standards in use, for example AdvancedVideo Coding (AVC or H.264) and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC orH.265). These technologies use compression techniques to significantlyreduce the data rate of digital video. For example, a 1080p video usingH.264 encoding could have a data rate in the range of 1-5 Mbps whilestill achieving excellent image quality. Using H.265, it is possible toencode a 4K 60 fps video to while still achieving excellent imagequality.

It is well understood that in an electrical transmission line, arelationship exists between signal frequency and attenuation.Specifically, higher frequencies (which allow for higher data rates) areattenuated more harshly than lower frequencies which reduces theachievable transmission distance. Additionally, the use of smallerconductors (which is desirable to keep the overall electrical fishingline small and lightweight) results in higher attenuation than that oflarger conductors. For a video fishing system, a reasonable requirementfor transmission data rate and distance is 10 Mbps and 100 meters. Wewould also like to keep the electrical fishing line as small aspossible, for example the 40 AWG twisted pair UHMWPE presented earlier,with an outer diameter of 0.50 mm and a breaking force of 30 lbf. At thetime of writing, there are two technologies that are capable ofachieving this goal: 10Base-T1L single pair Ethernet, and powerlinemodems utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

10Base-T1L establishes a full-duplex communication link over a singlepair of conductors with a bidirectional and simultaneous data rate of upto 10 Mbps. The transmission distance of 10Base-T1L is 1000 meters ormore using 18 AWG cabling. However, if smaller conductors are used, thistransmission distance will be reduced, as noted previously. The10Base-T1L standard specifies an insertion loss limit for the 2.4 Vppoperation mode defined by:

${{{Insertion}{loss}(f)} \leq {{10\left( {{1.23 \times \left. \sqrt{}f \right.} + {0.01 \times f} + \frac{0.2}{\left. \sqrt{}f \right.}} \right)} + {10 \times 0.02 \times \left. \sqrt{}{f({db})} \right.}}}{{{where}f{is}{the}{frequency}{in}{MHz}};{0.1 \leq f \leq 20}}$

This insertion loss limit can be used to predict the maximum length ofan electrical fishing line that can establish a 10Base-T1L link, for agiven insertion loss per unit length in the frequency band of interest.For the 40 AWG example electrical fishing line, a cable length of 135meters approaches but stays within this insertion loss limit. Adjustingconductor size, spacing, and dielectric material properties has inimpact on insertion loss and therefore maximum achievable transmissiondistance. Scaling things up in size, for example, would result in anelectrical fishing line design with increased breaking strength,increased diameter, and an increased maximum allowable length to achievea 10Base-T1L link. In other words, a larger, stronger fishing line couldachieve a greater transmission distance. By scaling the design this way,electrical fishing lines of different strengths, lengths, and sizes canbe created to address the needs of different fishing techniques. At thetime of writing, the establishment of a 10Base-T1L link over the 40 AWGexample design presented here has been successfully tested anddemonstrated with a cable length of 75 meters, using newly released10Base-T1L integrated circuits from well-known silicon producers. As100Base-T1L and other high-speed, long-distance Ethernet products becomeavailable, these may also be a good choice for data transfer.

An alternative approach to 10Base-T1L, which uses baseband signaling, isto use powerline modems employing OFDM, which is a broadband signalingapproach that utilizes more of the available spectrum. Powerline modemsare a communications technology that uses the electrical power supplylines within homes, offices, or other settings as the medium to transmithigh throughput data. OFDM divides the available spectrum into manysub-carriers allowing for increased spectral efficiency over basebandsignaling techniques. For a given spectrum bandwidth, insertion loss,and noise profile, powerline modems may offer higher data rates than10Base-T1L. Data rates greater than 10 Mbps could be useful forextremely high resolutions, frame rates, or stitched videos formed fromthe inputs of multiple image sensors. However, at the time of writing,available powerline modem devices require significantly more power thando 10Base-T1L devices, making them a less attractive option for videofishing systems with remotely powered camera modules. Since the power isbeing supplied to the camera module over high resistance conductors,reducing power draw within the camera module is important. For example,a typical powerline modem consumes 2-3 W of power, whereas a 10Base-T1LPHY or MAC+ PHY consumes less than 130 mW of power. Reducing the powerdraw in the camera module allows for the use of higher resistanceconductors, which enables electrical fishing lines with small diameter,long lengths, or both.

While the majority of the data will be transferred from the cameramodule to the base station, a bidirectional communication link isvaluable. In particular, it allows for the remote programming orre-programming of the firmware within the camera module processor(s), aswell as allowing for the angler to issue commands to activate certainfunctionalities within the camera module e.g., illumination lighting,vibration.

Sending Power Over Electrical Fishing Line

As discussed earlier, sending power over the conductors of theelectrical fishing line obviates the need for a battery or other energysource located inside the camera module which dramatically reduces itssize and weight. By sending DC power over the same pair of conductorsthat carry the AC signal to transmit data, the total number ofconductors inside the electrical fishing line can be reduced to a singlepair, which allows for the construction of a smaller and lighter weightelectrical fishing line that is very similar to conventional fishingline. However, the use of small conductors presents a high DC resistanceover which the power must be transmitted which presents a challenge.Additionally, when the electrical fishing line is wound on the spool ofthe reel it is more susceptible to overheating due to an effectiveincrease in thermal resistance in this configuration. Put another way,the heat generated in the inner windings of the spooled electricalfishing line (which are in essence buried underneath the successiveouter windings) must be conducted through the insulation material whichtypically has poor thermal conductivity.

The solution to both challenges is to reduce Ohmic power loss in theconductors by transmitting the DC power at high voltage and low current,as well as reducing the power draw of the camera module so that lesspower must be transmitted over the electrical fishing line. At the timeof writing, a good estimate for the power required by the camera moduleis 1 W, which is consumed by the three main components: image sensor,video processor, and communications electronics.

A common example of a technology that sends DC power over the sameconductors used for AC signal transmission is Power over Ethernet (PoE).For safety reasons, the voltage of PoE systems is limited to 60 V orless so that they do not present an electrical shock hazard to humansand can be classified as ES1 by the governing standard, IEC 62368-1. Itis well understood that the power which can be delivered to a loadthrough a resistor is defined by V∧2/4R, where V is the source voltageand R is the resistance of the conductor. For a 100-meter length of the40 AWG electrical fishing line design presented above, the totalround-trip resistance is 688 Ohms, which would allow for a maximum powerdelivery of 1.3 W to the load. To deliver this amount of power wouldrequire a DC current of 43 mA.

However, given the thermal limitations presented earlier, a current of43 mA in the electrical fishing line will generate far too much heat andproduce temperatures within and on the outer insulation of the line thatare too high for product safety and reliability. For magnet wire, acommon technique used to estimate maximum permissible current is usingthe metric of current density. For transformers wound using magnet wire,a common upper limit used is 2.5 A/mm∧2, which for 40AWG wire translatesto 25 mA. However, the electrical fishing line will have lower thermalconductivity than pure wound magnet wire due to the addition of theother materials (e.g., yarns, outer jacket) in the construction.Additionally, the temperature of the electrical fishing line will needto be kept lower than the transformer windings for which this rule ofthumb is intended due to touch temperature safety requirements. Giventhese facts, in order to achieve sufficient power delivery to the cameramodule while maintaining low power dissipation within the conductors andlow temperature within and on the jacket of the electrical fishing line,it is necessary to increase the electrical fishing line voltage beyond60 V.

If the voltage is greater than 60 V, it can be classified as ES1 if thecurrent in the line is limited to no more than 2 mA. To deliver 1 W tothe camera module at a current of less than 2 mA would require a voltageof over 500 V. However, increasing the voltage to this high levelpresents additional design challenges. The first of these challenges isthe voltage that the electrical fishing line can withstand beforeexperiencing dielectric breakdown of the insulating material, or coronadischarge effects that will deteriorate the insulating material overtime. The thickness and material selection of the insulating materialbetween the two conductors and of the outer jacket will dictate how muchvoltage can exist across the conductors. The second of these challengesis the availability, size, and efficiency of the voltage conversionelectronics that are available or feasible. The voltage conversionelectronics will be necessary since the base station module will nothave a voltage source in the range of hundreds of volts, and the cameramodule electronics are not capable of running at high voltages. Thethird challenge presented with such high voltage is that any capacitanceconnected to the high voltage presents a safety hazard. To address this,IEC 62368-1 limits the total amount of capacitance that can be connectedto a line of a given Energy Source classification (i.e., ES1, ES2, ES3)and voltage. Limiting the capacitance to meet these safety requirementsis challenging, as there will be capacitance needed at the output of thestep-up converter, the input of the step-down converter, and there willlikely be capacitance needed to facilitate communication over theelectrical fishing line.

An alternative solution which alleviates some of these challenges is toclassify the device as ES2, which increases the allowable current in theline to 25 mA and places no limit on allowable voltage. By selecting abus voltage of, for example, 250 V, the current in the line can be 6 mAwhile still allowing for at least 1 W of power delivered to the cameramodule, after step-down voltage conversion losses and cable Ohmic lossesare accounted for. At a 250 V voltage, the allowable bus capacitance onthe line is increased to a more feasible level than is allowed if thebus voltage is 500 V or more.

There are several possible techniques which can be implemented to limitthe current into the line to less than 25 mA under any loadingconditions including short circuit, so as to keep the device within ES2limits. The first is to select or limit the switching frequency and/orduty cycle and/or inductor and/or transformer of the step-up switchingconverter such that it is unable to deliver more than 25 mA at voltagesgreater than 120 V (so as to avoid exceeding the ES2 limits) under alloutput loading conditions, including short circuit, and also all inputvoltage levels expected. A second technique is to implement a currentlimiting circuit utilizing a current sense resistor and varioustransistors as is commonly found in the output stage of power supplies.A third technique is to implement an active circuit protection device tolimit currents, commonly known as an electronic fuse, which uses aMOSFET or other semiconductor device placed in series with the high sideor return side of the electrical line, along with current sensingcircuitry, in order to limit the maximum current in the line.

There are several possible techniques which can be implemented toalleviate the challenge of complying with the capacitance limits forhigh voltage lines in 62368-1. First, the capacitors at the input of thestep-down voltage converter located at the camera module can beprevented from discharging into the line by placing one or more diodeson one or both of the two conductors connected to the step-downconverter. If a full bridge rectifier is placed at the camera moduleinput, this allows for the wires to be polarity agnostic (i.e., theelectrical fishing line can be connected to the camera module in eitherpolarity with the same result) while also preventing the step-downconverter's input capacitance from discharging back into the electricalfishing line. This is a beneficial feature since both communicationsarchitectures presented (10Base-T1L and powerline modems) are alsopolarity agnostic. Second, the capacitors at the output of the step-upvoltage converter located at the base station can be prevented fromdischarging into the line by using one of the current limitingtechniques presented above. Alternatively, the total capacitance at theoutput of the step-up converter can be reduced by including in thesystem a capacitance multiplier circuit. These circuits use amplifiersand/or semiconductor devices to remove ripple from signals (such asripple that would be produced by a switch mode step-up voltageconverter) at the expense of additional power consumption. The inclusionof the capacitance multiplier circuit allows for a reduction in theamount of capacitance required at the output of the step-up converterwhile still achieving the same minimum ripple requirements. Removingripple from the output of the step-up voltage converter that issupplying the DC voltage for power over the electrical fishing line isimportant, as this ripple may interfere with the AC signaling used forcommunication. Third, any capacitors included to allow or improve theuse of the communication electronics can be reduced to as small a valueas possible.

As an additional safety measure, the video fishing system may include afunctionality to remove the high voltage supply from the electricalfishing line in the event that communication is abruptly stopped duringnormal use. Such an abrupt cessation in communication might beindicative of a mechanical failure or line break of the electricalfishing line, in which case it might be advantageous to remove the highvoltage from the conductors for safety reasons since they may be exposedto the user. Additionally, a device could be included within the cameramodule and/or base station to detect when either is in a disassembledstate (and hence accessible to a user) and automatically turn off thehigh voltage supply.

Computer Vision and Object Identification

The camera module and/or base station and/or electrical bait may includea computer vision system. This system would identify fish species,animals, and other objects of interest in the images captured by thecamera module. The identities of these objects could be immediatelyshared with the angler for informative or entertainment purposes, and/orstored in the memory of the system along with the video and other sensordata.

The computer vision system may also be used to trigger an alarm to alertthe angler or other personnel that a fish or other item of interest hasbeen detected. This alarm could use audible, visual, vibrational, orother means to alert the angler or other participants or observers.

Audio Mixing

As mentioned earlier, the camera module and the base station and theelectrical bait may contain microphones and/or hydrophones for capturingaudio. This audio may be synchronized and/or combined with the video andsensor data for informative or entertainment purposes. The audio fromthe base station may be combined with the video and/or audio from thecamera module and/or electrical bait. This mixing technique would allow,for example, for the audio from the base station (which might includethe reactionary dialog of the angler and nearby observers) to becombined with the video and audio from the camera module to create anexciting, entertaining, and informative video.

Multi-Rod Systems

In some embodiments, multiple base stations 404 may be wirelesslyconnected to each other to allow for multi-camera viewing and control ona single viewing device. In this topology, one base station acts as amaster and the others as slaves. The master base station broadcasts aWi-Fi access point to which the slave base stations connect. One or moreWi-Fi enabled devices, for example a mobile phone or tablet, alsoconnect to the master base station for video viewing and systemconfiguration and control. This setup allows multiple camera modules tobe viewed and/or controlled simultaneously on a single Wi-Fi enabledviewing device. Without the master-slave architecture, the viewingdevice would not be able to view multiple streams simultaneously sinceit is only capable of connecting to one Wi-Fi access point at a time.The video and control data between the slave base stations and theviewing and control device would be routed through the master basestation.

Base Station Charging

The base station and/or fishing rod may also charge from a physical orwireless connection when it is placed in a holder or charger. Forexample, wireless charging may be enabled with helical coils embedded inthe fishing rod and helical coils wrapped around the space in the rackfor the rod or the within the walls of the fishing rod holders mountedon the boat.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. Variousconfigurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. For instance, in alternative configurations,the methods may be performed in an order different from that described,and that various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Also,features described with respect to certain configurations may becombined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elementsof the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Also,technology evolves and, thus, many of the elements are examples and donot limit the scope of the disclosure or claims.

Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described abovewith reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations ofmethods, systems, and computer program products according to embodimentsof the present disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks mayoccur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantiallyconcurrent or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order,depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Additionally, oralternatively, not all of the blocks shown in any flowchart need to beperformed and/or executed. For example, if a given flowchart has fiveblocks containing functions/acts, it may be the case that only three ofthe five blocks are performed and/or executed. In this example, any ofthe three of the five blocks may be performed and/or executed.

A statement that a value exceeds (or is more than) a first thresholdvalue is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds asecond threshold value that is slightly greater than the first thresholdvalue, e.g., the second threshold value being one value higher than thefirst threshold value in the resolution of a relevant system. Astatement that a value is less than (or is within) a first thresholdvalue is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equalto a second threshold value that is slightly lower than the firstthreshold value, e.g., the second threshold value being one value lowerthan the first threshold value in the resolution of the relevant system.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of example configurations (including implementations).However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details.For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the configurations. This description provides exampleconfigurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, orconfigurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of theconfigurations will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing described techniques. Various changes maybe made in the function and arrangement of elements without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the disclosure.

1. An electrically-conductive fishing line comprising: a firstconductor; a second conductor; a transmission line primary dielectricelement separating the first conductor and the second conductor; and awaterproof jacket containing the first conductor, the second conductor,and the primary dielectric element, wherein the primary dielectricelement is at least one of textile yarns, fiber yarns, or monofilamentsand wherein the first conductor, the second conductor, and the primarydielectric element form an electrical transmission line.
 2. The fishingline of claim 1 in which the electrical transmission line is of abalanced configuration.
 3. The fishing line of claim 1 in which theelectrical transmission line is of an unbalanced configuration.
 4. Thefishing line of claim 1 wherein the first conductor and the secondconductor are twisted about the primary dielectric element.
 5. Thefishing line of claim 1 wherein the first conductor and the secondconductor are not twisted about the primary dielectric element.
 6. Thefishing line of claim 1 wherein power is transmitted over the fishingline using a combination of high voltage and low current.
 7. The fishingline of claim 1 further comprising at least one secondary dielectricelement.
 8. The fishing line of claim 7 wherein the at least onesecondary dielectric element is twisted about the primary dielectricelement.
 9. The fishing line of claim 7 wherein the at least onesecondary dielectric element is not twisted about the primary dielectricelement.
 10. The fishing line of claim 1 having a specific gravitybetween approximately 0.97 and approximately 2.0.
 11. The fishing lineof claim 1 having a proximal end and a distal end, and comprising aconnector at each of the proximal end and the distal end.
 12. Thefishing line of claim 1 wherein the primary dielectric element is a yarnhaving a high strength and a high modulus.
 13. The fishing line of claim1 wherein at least one of the first or second conductors is uninsulated.14. The fishing line of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first orsecond conductors is magnet wire.
 15. The fishing line of claim 1wherein at least one of the first or second conductors is enamel coated.16. The fishing line of claim 1 wherein the primary dielectric elementis also a cable strength member.
 17. A video fishing system comprising:a waterproof camera module; a base station module; and theelectrically-conductive fishing line of claim 1 connecting thewaterproof camera module and the base station module.
 18. The videofishing system of claim 17 wherein the waterproof camera module isconfigured to be a fishing lure.
 19. The video fishing system of claim17 wherein the base station module is integrated into a fishing rod orreel.
 20. The video fishing system of claim 17 wherein the camera modulehas multiple image sensors for creating a panoramic-view image.
 21. Thevideo fishing system of claim 17 including an electrical safetymechanism between the fishing line and at least one of the camera moduleor the base station module.
 22. The video fishing system of claim 17wherein data is transmitted over the fishing line.
 23. The video fishingsystem of claim 22 wherein data is transmitted using 10Base-T1L,Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, or powerline modemsignaling.
 24. A video fishing system utilizing an electrical fishingline comprising a waterproof jacket containing electrical conductors ofsize 34 AWG or smaller and configured to send power over the electricalfishing line using a combination of high voltage and low current. 25.The video fishing system of claim 24 including an electrical safetymechanism governing the voltage and/or current on the electrical fishingline.
 26. A video fishing system utilizing an electrical fishing linecomprising a waterproof jacket containing electrical conductors of size34 AWG or smaller and configured to send data over the electricalfishing line using either 10Base-T1L, Orthogonal Frequency DivisionMultiplexing, or powerline modem signaling.